Speaker raised concerns about the city charter amendment history from 2011 and 2018, arguing that amendments were improperly placed on the ballot without the required charter review process and that the current 2026 ballot measure (Amendment 3) targeting provision 3E would eliminate voter spending caps and extend the 36-month repayment deadline to 30 years.
Speaker also contended that seat four is still occupied by a temporary appointment and that an election should have been held.
Speaker compared the 2010 DRI agreement for westward development (which required the developer to fund approximately $110 million in road improvements, parks, and schools) to the proposed MPD by Radiant/Sanders Trust, arguing that specific infrastructure obligations have been removed and replaced with vague frameworks funded through impact fees and tax increment financing.
Speaker questioned how the MPD could be brought to council for a vote with key issues unresolved.
Speaker followed up on the previous speaker's MPD/DRI comments, arguing the city holds a binding contract with the developer (Rayineer, now acquired by a larger entity) and that no motion was ever brought before the council to authorize negotiating a new contract.
Speaker also requested copies of the city manager's and city attorney's six-month performance reviews, noting this is customary at school board and county commission level.
Resolution approving an amendment to the Naming of Public Facilities Guidelines was included in the consent agenda and passed without separate discussion as part of the unanimous consent vote.
Resolution approving the CDBG FFY 2026 Annual Action Plan was included in the consent agenda.
Vice Mayor Pontieri asked about the $60,000 planning administration allocation, which staff explained was higher than the usual $35,000 flat rate due to an expired software bid being padded to $60,000.
Passed as part of the unanimous consent vote.
Resolution approving the use of unused pre-approved funds from the Indian Trails Sports Complex parking expansion project for additional ITSC items and to advance sitework and parking at the Southern Recreation Center.
Vice Mayor Pontieri thanked public works and Little League for the partnership.
The president of Palm Coast Little League spoke in support during public comment.
Passed as part of the unanimous consent vote.
Speaker, identifying himself as president of Palm Coast Little League, expressed gratitude for the upcoming vote on consent item G.3 allocating unused ITSC funds for safety netting on field two and batting cage improvements.
Speaker also thanked specific city staff members by name (James, Carl Coat, Carmelo Morales) for their professionalism.
One applicant, a Palm Coast Fire Department lieutenant named Mulligan, was present and briefly addressed the council.
With only one applicant for one vacancy on the Volunteer Firefighters Pension Board, he was appointed unanimously.
Four regular seats and two alternate seats were available on the Code Enforcement Board but only three applications were received.
Vice Mayor Pontieri moved to table and reopen the application process for approximately four additional weeks to attract more applicants.
Staff confirmed existing quorums would be maintained in the interim.
Motion to table passed unanimously.
The Planning and Land Development Regulation Board appointment was handled identically to H.2, with fewer applicants than open seats.
Vice Mayor Pontieri moved to table to allow more applicants; she noted she knew of two additional interested parties.
Motion to table passed unanimously.
Land Management Administrator Virginia Smith and Economic Development Manager Craig McKenna presented the opportunity to sell 8.5 acres (22 lots) in the Whispering Pines area of the CRA to Sanders Trust LLC for $1.9 million (appraised at ~$2.775 million, originally purchased for ~$3.16 million).
Sanders Trust would build a $31 million, 36-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital operated by Clear Sky Health under a 20-year lease.
Projected economic impact includes ~100 full-time jobs at $75,000 average salary and ~$182,000 in annual ad valorem property taxes.
Vice Mayor Pontieri asked about a clawback provision; staff noted Sanders Trust had already executed the lease with Clear Sky and resisted clawback language.
The sale proceeds go into the CRA fund.
No additional financial incentives were offered.
The CRA board approved unanimously.
Speaker expressed support for the Sanders Trust rehabilitation hospital project as an example of good economic development, noted he was comfortable with the long-term value even at a below-appraisal sale price, and suggested the council consider adding a right of first refusal provision to the contract in case the project does not proceed to fruition within a specified timeframe.
The companion City Council resolution approving the same purchase and sale contract with Sanders Trust LLC for the 8.5 acres in the Whispering Pines area of the SR 100 CRA was moved, seconded, and passed unanimously with no additional public comment.
Finance staff (Gwen Ragsdale and Helena Alves) presented the FY2027 proposed general fund budget of $72 million (up 6.8%/~$4.6M from FY26) and three millage rate options: 4.2296 (staff recommendation, generating ~$46.5M), rollback rate 4.1387 (~$45.5M, ~$1M cut needed), and current adopted rate 4.0893 (~$44.9M, ~$1.6M cut needed).
Major discussion covered: funding 5 vs.
9 additional sheriff's deputies; whether the city-funded school resource officer position should shift to the school district; the complaint-based code enforcement model (estimated ~12.5 FTE reduction); merit pay vs.
COLA (96% of employees received 3%+ merit, raising questions about whether it functions as a de facto COLA); the Humane Society contract increase ($156 to $392/animal); and the $2 million fund balance carryover.
Mayor Norris and Vice Mayor Pontieri both stated they would not vote to increase the millage, with the mayor favoring the current adopted rate with across-the-board cuts.
The max millage of 4.2296 was adopted 4-1, preserving decision space before September budget hearings.
Code Enforcement staff (Barbara Grossman and Lily Phipe) presented the nuisance abatement initial assessment list, unchanged from the prior week's workshop presentation.
Total assessment amount was approximately $119,075.75, of which $34,200 represents administrative cost recovery.
No public comment.
Passed unanimously.
Economic Development Manager John Zobler presented amendments to the Downtown Urban Core Improvement Grant Program originally approved in November 2025.
The proposed changes included: extending the sunset date one year to September 2027; allowing owner-operators (not just tenants) such as Serenity Minigolf to apply; and adding definitional changes.
Vice Mayor Pontieri noted she could not vote on definition changes without a redlined document.
The council split the motion: unanimously approving the sunset date extension and the executed-lease-agreement requirement, while tabling the definition and business-type changes to the August 4 business meeting pending a redlined version.
The Prominade developer (William Angri) and leasing agent (Cornelia Downing Manfrey) spoke in support, noting progress on leasing with tenants including Tai and I, Sixth Street Deli, Fleet Feat, and Grandpa Joe's.
Speaker expressed general support for the council's budget process and discussion, urged the council to commit the $2 million fund balance carryover specifically to road repairs rather than other uses, and recommended the Humane Society contract be put out for competitive bid rather than allowing the current provider to set rates unilaterally.
Developer principal of PC Town Center Development addressed the council to provide a construction progress update on the Prominade project, noting hard hat tours of the residential component have begun.
Speaker described the project's vision as a community gathering destination with 56,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, and indicated a formal ribbon cutting should occur when approximately 50% of commercial spaces are leased and open.
Speaker suggested the city develop a standardized contract review process to proactively include protective provisions such as rights of first refusal and clawback clauses before contracts are presented to council for final vote, noting several recent contracts had raised these questions at the last moment.
Speaker, identifying herself as the leasing agent representing the Prominade Town Center developer, thanked the council for extending the improvement grant period, described challenges attracting national tenants to the non-SR-100-facing location, and reported that regional tenants including Tai and I, Sixth Street Deli, Fleet Feat, and Grandpa Joe's are in various stages of interest or commitment.
Speaker described the importance of the grant funds for smaller tenant buildout costs.